Welcome to the WrestlingNewsWorld.com Premium Newsletter. This is where you will find all of the big news and Ask WNW segments from the week neatly archived for your viewing pleasure.

This week’s edition covers news from Saturday, April 6, 2013 to Friday, April 12, 2013 as well as all five Ask WNW segments from the week. Use this newsletter as your own personal tool to catch up on any of the news that you may have missed during the week. Below is a table of contents:

Note From Richard: For those that have asked, the Newsletter is organized with the news posted on Saturday at the top with the most recent stories at the bottom. We have it organized this way so you can read the news in the order in which it happened. Thanks for your support!

WWE News

- We reported earlier that Christian was in New York/New Jersey for Wrestlemania weekend. Christian was part of the Wrestlemania Axxess festivities in East Rutherford on Friday night.

- Brian Fritz interviewed Mick Foley Friday at Wrestlemania Axxess where he talked about his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Foley said he told Terry Funk that WWE might want a “more recent guy” to induct him but that he was his first choice. Foley said when it became apparent they weren’t going to need anymore star power, he was able to get Funk as his inductor.

He then talked about the controversy that grabbed headlines earlier this week when it appeared that Foley’s induction wouldn’t be featured on the USA Network television special. Here’s what Foley said directly.

“I did get a little angry when I thought my speech wasn’t going to be televised. One thing I promised myself when I heard the WWE mention my book while I was not working for them. When I was working for a different company. I said, you know, if I’m ever asked to be inducted into the Hall of Fame I will gladly go and won’t place any conditions on my entry. Then I started, ‘hey wait a second.’ And I regretted that and I apologized to a few people directly for that. One thing Kevin Dunn said to me Thursday, ‘Mick call me. If you’re upset about something, you’ve known me for 17 years, call me.”

You can watch the interview embedded in the video below or at this link.

- Ric Flair is in New York/New Jersey for Wrestlemania 29 weekend after canceling his scheduled appearance at Axxess on Thursday night. Flair is currently grieving the death of his youngest son, Reid, who died suddenly last week.

- We just received word from Wrestling News World reader Joe DeMayo at Wrestlemania Axxess that Alicia Fox went down with an apparent leg injury. DeMayo says the referee used the X signal immediately following the bout and a trainer came out to assist. Fox went under to WWE Divas Champion Kaitlyn. She walked out with a little help.

- The Washington Post has a new article online with quotes from Daniel Bryan about how he got over in WWE.

“I don’t consider it wrestling,” says Bryan, who will compete alongside Kane in a tag-team championship match on Sunday. “I’ve done wrestling. Everywhere. And just by being a good wrestler you can become popular. But not here. It’s more important to be entertaining than it is to be a great wrestler. It’s fascinating to me. Some things just stick. Why it happens, I have no idea.”

- The Great Khali, JTG and Yoshi Tatsu had a “wing off” at Chili’s in Hoboken, NJ. TMZ has the coverage at this link.

- Is the Paul Bearer angle offensive? Of course it is! It was designed that way, according to comments made by Paul Heyman in an interview with Chad Dukes.

“I mean leave it to a Jew to portray a resurrection the day after Easter Sunday. That was part of how offensive it was supposed to be! Of course, it was designed to offend! It was designed to be controversial! It was designed to piss people off and I wish it went even further than it did.”

Punk didn’t mince words, saying he’s not excited about John Cena vs. The Rock [at Wrestlemania 29] and he would be more excited if he was facing John. He said Dolph Ziggler should say he should be more excited if it were him and Rock. Punk feels certain media outlets will pick and choose certain things he says and then just kind of label him an “awful malcontent.” He said he understandS the business “way more than they do” but he also understands personal goals. The former 434-day WWE Champion said where he is, is great but he always wants to be one step higher.

Regarding Cena calling him an “average-looking pedestrian” at the Wrestlemania 29 press conference, Punk said it didn’t hurt his feelings and that was the whole point. He said that’s why he didn’t wear a suit. Punk said everyone just wants to please Vince and he just wants to be comfortable.

Mark Henry asked Punk why he’s wearing an Antonio Cesaro shirt. Punk said because Antonio Cesaro is awesome and he likes to represent people that don’t necessarily get the representation they deserve.

Punk doesn’t feel guilty about Paul Bearer and is incapable of feeling guilt or any sort of remorse. He said he’s a legitimate sociopath and that helps him do his job. Punk said “I didn’t kill the guy” so he doesn’t have anything to feel bad about. He said from talking with everyone that knew Bearer very, very well they say he would have loved the storyline.

Roberts told Punk about The Miz saying he felt like a fool for putting him over in the “Best in the World” DVD only for Punk to reveal he nearly quit the company because Miz main evented Wrestlemania 27. Roberts then asked if The Undertaker was the right match for him to be in this year. Punk said he puts too much pressure on himself and echoed comments from last week.

The Miz: Yup! We got engaged a month ago. She loves Cosmo and because she reads the mag, I also read it. I actually really like it. It’s like looking into the mind of a woman.

Cosmo: Your fiancée is a smart girl! How did you two meet?

The Miz: Maryse and I met in 2006 when I was hosting a WWE Diva search and she was a contestant. She was picked, but we didn’t start dating then. About a year later we started talking after one of the Raw events. I was like, “Man if only I could get a girl like this. One of these days I will get a girl like this and I will be so happy.” And I did!

- Sam Roberts interviewed The Big Show where he offered his opinion on up and coming heels. Show speficially put over Dolph Ziggler, Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow and said it’s important they not get short-sighted or frustrated. You can watch the interview at this link.

- The Undertaker is having some fun with fans at Wrestlemania Axxess. We’ve heard from attendees that have had the chance to meet him that he’s teased a possible match against Brock Lesnar for Wrestlemania XXX next year. While I don’t think anyone (even Undertaker) knows for sure if he’ll work next year, it’s certainly interesting to think about.

- ESPN posted a new interview with Dolph Ziggler to promote Wrestlemania 29. In it, Ziggler is asked is there resentment in the locker room of four part-timers getting main event matches on the card. Below is his response:

Yeah, of course there is, but that’s how it goes. When somebody is getting a lot of time on TV, a lot of people will start to resent them or think they’re better. But that’s how it goes. And you know what, I hate it, I hate that part-timers have to come back in order for us to have the biggest WrestleMania there is, but it’s also smart business. The biggest movie star in the entire world just happens to have come from WWE, so who wouldn’t want to see the biggest movie star go up against the biggest WWE superstar we have, the face of the organization, the franchise? That match just has the glitz and glamour, that’s the main event and we get that. The guys who resent it 100 percent just don’t understand the business because there’s money to be made, there’s eyes to be brought to a WrestleMania. Say it was me and Daniel Bryan headlining, we’re not going to get those people who pay to see a movie star. Our job is, we get the people who pay to see Rock and John Cena, and you leave an impression that you stole the show. You do something to make them come back and see you the next day. That is my goal every time we do this, and of course, on Sunday, all those people tune in to see The Rock and Cena, but I’m going to leave them thinking I stole the show and now they have to tune in on Monday to see what I’m going to do next. That’s how I’ve been able to build my entire career. I’ve found a way to stand out and steal the show.

- Rob Van Dam continues to kayfabe when it comes to his contract status. While it’s known his contract with TNA Wrestling expired in March, RVD isn’t disclosing if he’s re-signed or is going to attempt a return in WWE. RVD maintains he’ll be returning to television – with either TNA or WWE – soon.

- Maria Kanellis is interested in returning to WWE at some point. She’s also hopeful her fiancé Mike Bennett will get a look.

- The USA Network special of the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is now scheduled to air for 75 minutes, meaning it will air from 10-11:15 PM EDT/PDT.

- Jim Ross wrote on his Twitter account that Larry Zbyszko, Dominic DeNucci and Ivan Koloff are scheduled to attend the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

- Joey Styles, Paul Heyman, Rob Van Dam and Tommy Dreamer all gathered around prior to the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony from Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday for an “extreme” reunion. You can view a photo WWE posted here on Instagram. We noted earlier on Saturday here on WrestlingNewsWorld.com that RVD was keeping his contract status close to his vest. His deal with TNA Wrestling expired last month but he has plans on returning soon although he won’t say whether that return is with TNA or with WWE.

- Trish Stratus announced at the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony that she is pregnant and is due in September. The announcement came shortly after introducing her husband Ron, who drew heat from the live audience. After the pregnancy announcement, the crowd began to chant “Ron! Ron!”

- MVP was in attendance at the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, we can exclusively confirm.

- Below is a recap of induction speeches given at the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony from Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday, April 6, 2013:

* Mick Foley delivered what was described as one of the best WWE speeches ever. In addition to the 35-40 minute speech, Santa Claus made a cameo and Chris Jericho took an elbow [from Foley] with CM Punk making the three count.

* Trish Stratus received a great response from the crowd and mentioned Gail Kim, Mickie James and Lita by name. She also showed off a pen Jim Ross gave her at WWE headquarters when she signed her contract. Trish revealed one of the reasons she retired in 2006 was due to her mother being diagnosed with cancer. Her husband, Ron, received some heat before Trish surprised the audience by announcing she was pregnant. She is due in September.

* Booker T said it was Sid Vicious who gave him the call to go to WCW and that Sid was trying to get an office job at the time. He credited Sherri Martel for legitimizing Harlem Heat. Booker never forgot when he first came to WWE Linda McMahon told him “we finally got you.” He thanked Jim Ross (as did Foley and Trish) and Michael Cole. Booker concluded with a Hall of Fame Spinarooni.

* The crowd turned on Maria Menounos before Bob Backlund even made it to the stage. Backlund had a bizarre speech that featured him cutting a promo on Sgt. Slaughter where he was shouting and trying to convince Triple H to sign an amateur wrestler. The speech was said to be “indescribable.”

* Donald Trump had an enormous amount of heat, “booed out of the building” levels. Trump challenged Vince McMahon to a fight at Wrestlemania XXX in attempt to break pay-per-view buy records. The crowd popped for Trump’s daughter Ivanka but were so hot, they even booed a John Cena/Make-A-Wish video.

* Arnold Schwarzenegger drew a lot of laughs when he said he tried to lift 400 lbs last week when he lifted New Jersey Governor Chris Christie out of his chair. He questioned where all the people were when his last movie came out in January. Bruno Sammartino was well-received and gave an inspirational speech. He told stories of his childhood, running from Nazis in Italy. Bruno said he never took aspirin or any pain killers during his career despite suffering injures. He married his high school sweetheart and they’re still married 54 years later. Bruno will be 78 in a couple of months and still trains six days a week. He thanked the fans and said he owed it all to them. Bruno hugged Vince McMahon to conclude the ceremony.

- Stephanie McMahon responded to Dixie Carter on Twitter on Thursday. After meeting for the first time this past week, Carter wished Stephanie and the McMahon family luck this weekend. Stephanie thanked her. The following is from Twitter:

“@tnadixie: Met @stephmcmahon for the first time this past week.Wish her and her family much success this weekend.” Thank You Dixie!

- The official theme song for the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony is “Hall of Fame” by The Script featuring will.i.am. It’s being featured on all of the promotional pieces for the USA Network special on Tuesday.

- Dot com featured an article on Rob Van Dam’s attendance at the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Saturday night. Below is an excerpt when he was asked why he is there:

“I’m here to support my boy Booker T,” said Van Dam, who added he’d known the future WWE Hall of Fame inductee for some time around 10 years. They also had a memorable run as a tag team when they were in WWE together.

- CM Punk revealed on “Busted Open” with Dave Lagreca, Doug Mortman and Mike Riker that he wasn’t happy with his WWE title matches against The Rock. He said they were the best they could have been but he doesn’t watch anything he does so there’s no looking back. Punk felt the four-way match to determine who would face The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 29 [on Raw] was a “stupid idea” and there were better ways to handle it. This was believed to be the reason WWE cut ties with Eric Pankowski as the head of creative.

- WWE had a legal team shutdown some vendors at Wrestlecon in Secaucus, NJ on Sunday that were selling their DVDs, t-shirts and other merchandise without permission, PWInsiderreports. The vendors in violation were presented with a legal order and had their merchandise seized. They were given a court date where they will have the opportunity argue their case as to why their merchandise should be returned. This, however, comes at the risk of having to pay damages. WWE also had a list of copyrights and trademarks to prove they were being infringed upon.

- Ricky Steamboat says WWE wants their NXT developmental territory to be a third brand like Raw or Smackdown.

- The Miz beat Wade Barrett in the Wrestlemania 29 Pre-Show to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship after making him tap out in the figure-four leglock. Read how it happened with Richard Reacts at this link.

- 80,676 was the announced attendance for Wrestlemania 29 from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. This was good enough for a new stadium record.

- The 8-Person Tag Team Match was bumped from the card. We heard they were running 17-minute late when Diddy was performing and were obviously not able to makeup for the lost time.

- We’ve heard there were a lot of problems with the WWE.com stream for Wrestlemania 29. Apparently the pay-per-view was unwatchable with a blank error screen appearing. If you experienced this, please feel free to tell us more.

- John Cena beat The Rock at Wrestlemania 29 to win the WWE Championship. We have full results with how it went down at this link with early Richard Reacts.

- WWE posted video of The Miz winning the WWE Intercontinental Championship on their YouTube channel at this link.

- The Wrestlemania 29 post show featured Scott Stanford hosting Jim Ross, Kofi Kingston and Dusty Rhodes where they gave their thoughts on the pay-per-view. The setup was something I’ve felt they should have been doing for years now and was just like something you’d see after a major sporting event.

Renee Young interviewed Big Show about turning on Sheamus and Randy Orton, which obviously is being done to reset him as a heel.

Tony Dawson spoke with Chris Jericho about getting upset and Jericho wondered what was next for Fandango.

Jim Ross put over Undertaker vs. CM Punk as the match of the night and a sure match of the year candidate. Kofi Kingston admitted it was not only the match of the night but one of the best matches he had ever seen. On a side note, this is something I want to put out there while it’s still fresh, but I think the discussion with Undertaker now shifts to is he the best of all-time? This isn’t the first Wrestlemania he’s saved.

Zeb Colter did an interview where he said they were “sabotaged” because of the “politics of the area.” Regardless of what WWE does with Jack Swagger, they have a new mouthpiece in Colter.

Triple H was shown having his hand x-rayed that led to a discussion about his match with Brock Lesnar. They talked about John Cena and The Rock to close the Post-Show broadcast and concluded with photos of the memorable moments.

- Brodus Clay was excited for his bout at Wrestlemania 29 but posted some somber Tweets in light of his 8-Person Tag Team match getting cut from the pay-per-view due to time constraints. A passionate Clay Tweeted, In life we have set backs and disappointments sometimes you need your heartbroken to know how much you love it

In life we have set backs and disappointments sometimes you need your heartbroken to know how much you love it #365toredemption Nyadonothat — Brodus Clay (@BrodusClay) April 8, 2013

funkateers much love don’t get down we will work harder! we will be better! best thing about being down is getting back up #hardindapaint ! — Brodus Clay (@BrodusClay) April 8, 2013

- The USA Network announced via press release last week that legendary NFL quarterback Kurt Warner is scheduled to make a special guest appearance on this week’s WWE Raw to promote the new reality series “The Moment.” As of this writing WWE hasn’t promoted the appearance but we can confirm Warner is in New York City (Raw is being held across the bridge in the Meadowlands). We exchanged Tweets with Warner about the appearance last week:

Make sure you join us for our WWE Raw Watch Party at 7:30 PM EDT for streaming Raw results and live discussion.

- Ric Flair was not at the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony last Saturday night, however, Flair was at Wrestlemania 29 Sunday night in New Jersey. Flair had a late dinner with Samantha Badger of Legacy Talent and Entertainment and drinks with Jim Ross. Click here to view a photo of Flair having dinner. JR Tweeted the following:

I had to include the Tweet about Michael Hayes in a tangerine colored suit.

- Triple H suffered a legitimate arm injury in his match against Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 29 on Sunday. Dot com featured video footage of Michael Sampson looking at an x-ray that was taken at MetLife Stadium where he said it was just a muscle contusion. Hunter is shown walking up to Stephanie McMahon and telling her his arm wasn’t broken. Click here to watch the footage.

- We’re told CM Punk’s elbow was “looking rough” following the table spot in his Wrestlemania 29 bout against The Undertaker. Punk was scheduled to be evaluated by WWE Medical.

- This week’s WWE Raw is expected take a hit in the ratings due to the NCAA Men’s Tournament final game even though it’s the night after Wrestlemania. WWE has a full five weeks to build for Extreme Rules and star power on this week’s show.

- Ryback was seen limping after his match against Mark Henry although we aren’t aware of an official injury diagnosis.

- There continues to be talk about Daniel Bryan and Kane splitting and dropping the WWE Tag Team Championship although there is no doubting they were over at Wrestlemania.

- As for matches on Raw, there has been a lot of talk about doing the 8-person tag team match that was cut from Wrestlemania due to time constraints and more progression in AJ Lee vs. Kaitlyn, if not a Divas Championship match.

- Mae Young was backstage at Wrestlemania and many of the female talents took pictures with her.

- Alberto Del Rio doesn’t drive cars to the ring anymore because he ran over Santa Claus. That was his response when asked in a Wrestlemania Axxess interview that you can watch at this link.

- The entrance of Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter wasn’t highlighted on Wrestlemania 29 due to time constraints. They drove a gimmick-themed golf cart to the ring.

- Dennis Rodman was backstage at Wrestlemania 29 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. You can view photos here on WrestlingFigs.com.

- We’ve heard from a number of readers that attended Wrestlemania 29 that their view was obstructed by the four “sky rise buildings” that held the canopy up above the ring. Because they were looking directly at the setup around the ring, they were forced to watch the show from the screens in the stadium. There was a similar problem last year in Miami with the palm trees. If you experienced this issue, feel free to let us know more in the comments area below.

- WWE is in the process of refunding customers that ordered the Wrestlemania 29 Webcast. As we previously reported here at WrestlingNewsWorld.com, a number of readers experienced problems. Wrestling News World reader Mathew Gagnon noted the Webcast was down from 7-9 PM EDT with the following error messages:

“Our Apologies. This service is unavailable” and “There was a problem playing the selected media. Please try again later.”

- As we reported earlier here at WrestlingNewsWorld.com, there is a developing situation going on backstage at WWE Raw in regards to The Rock. WWE has been advertising him for the show and were obviously planning on using him on the broadcast. At least one person is under the impression Rock has already left town. At this point we don’t know what caused the mixup but Vince McMahon ordered a show rewrite just a little over an hour ago.

- Variety looks at the success of “The Call,” the latest WWE Studios project. The article notes WWE will consider prospects of a sequel, should it continue to play. You can read it at this link. – We’re told Kassius Ohno, formerly known as Chris Hero, is backstage at WWE Raw in East Rutherford, New Jersey. We haven’t heard if there are plans to use him.

- The verified Twitter account of The Bella Twins featured a photo of them “group hugging” with Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes prior to their match at Wrestlemania. You can view it below:

- Shawn Michaels is fine following what was originally thought to be a broken nose at Wrestlemania 29 on Sunday night. It turns out Michaels’ nose wasn’t broken and he’s already back home in Texas. Michaels wrote the following on Twitter after the show:

- Jack Swagger is scheduled to appear before a judge on Tuesday in Biloxi, Mississippi to respond to a DWI charge stemming from his arrest in February. As of this writing he is not being advertised for this week’s Smackdown taping in Boston, MA.

- Sam Gardner of FOX Sports attended Wrestlemania 29 as a non-wrestling fan and wrote an editorial about it at this link. (Thanks to WNW reader John M for sending us the link.)

- A city committee in Calgary is expected to approve a bylaw Wednesday declaring the Hart Mansion a municipal historic resource. The Calgary Sun has the story with photos at this link. (Thanks to WNW reader Dave L for sending us the link.)

- CM Punk had x-rays done at MetLife Stadium following his match against Undertaker at Wrestlemania 29. In addition to an issue with his elbow, his knee is also bothering him. He’s believed to be in need of an MRI but is scheduled to work this week’s Raw.

- John Cena did an interview with Michelle Beadle from “Access Hollywood” on Monday. He brought the WWE title with him as you can view a photo below:

- Last week’s Smackdown, the go-home episode leading into Wrestlemania 29, did an average viewing audience of 2,520,000 viewers on SyFy. The show ended up doing a 1.83 cable rating.

- One story going around about The Rock is that he suffered an injury in his WWE title match against John Cena at Wrestlemania 29 and was going home to get it examined. There was a chaotic fiasco backstage at WWE Raw on Monday when Rock was nowhere to be found. Vince McMahon reportedly flipped out and ordered the show rewritten.

- WWE has announced a 5/31 live event from the Civic Center in Glen Falls, New York and a 6/30 live event from the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, Minnesota on 6/30. Tickets for both shows go on sale on Saturday.

- The Rock tore his abdomen and adductor muscles off the bone in his WWE title match against John Cena at Wrestlemania 29 on Sunday. The former WWE Champion wrote the following on Twitter:

In the middle of last nights Wrestlemania match I tore my abdomen & adductor muscles off the bone. Just part of the job. But as we know.. — Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) April 8, 2013

A panic broke out backstage at WWE Raw Monday afternoon at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey when The Rock was nowhere to be found. Stories began circulating with speculation regarding his absence. Vince McMahon ordered the show to be rewritten as Rock was scheduled to have a role on the original broadcast. The word later in the evening was Rock suffered an injury in his match against John Cena and returned home to have it examined. This latest information confirms that story as The Rock is off this week’s broadcast with a torn abdomen.

- The announced attendance for this week’s WWE Raw was 16,173 from the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The show was a legitimate sellout.

- Justin Roberts opened this week’s WWE Raw taping by explaining The Rock suffered an abdominal tear at Wrestlemania 29 and wouldn’t be appearing. We have the full story available at this link.

- Legendary NFL quarterback Kurt Warner was in attendance at this week’s WWE Raw and interviewed in the audience of Josh Mathews. Warner explained his new reality series called “The Moment” will premiere on Thursday at 10/9c on the USA Network – Wade Barrett defeated The Miz to regain the Intercontinental Champion on tonight’s edition of WWE Raw. Click here to view full results for the show as it happens.

- Triple H’s left hand is badly swollen after suffering a muscle contusion in his match against Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 29 on Sunday night. Hunter is having a hard time moving both his hand and arm. You can view a photo Hunter posted on Twitter below:

The initial fear was Hunter had a broken arm but x-rays performed in the locker room of MetLife Stadium were negative.

- Dolph Ziggler cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase to defeat Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship on tonight’s edition of WWE Raw. Click here to join our Watch Party and discuss the show as it happens.

Richard Reacts: FINALLY! Dolph Ziggler has been a literal workhouse for the better part of a year. He withstood the dreadful Spirit Squad gimmick and head-scratching booking. Let’s just hope WWE didn’t do this to blowoff the briefcase and switch the title back Tuesday night at Smackdown. Ziggler has earned a credible reign as World Heavyweight Champion. Here to show the world!

- There were multiple injuries suffered at Wrestlemania 29 on Sunday. Below is a look at every injury:

* The Rock tore his abdomen and adductor muscles off the bone in his WWE title match against John Cena. The injury isn’t without mystery as it wasn’t known following the pay-per-view on Sunday night. It wasn’t until Monday afternoon at WWE Raw when it was discovered The Rock was already on his way home to see a doctor about an injury he sustained. The original script for Raw was blown up as Rock had been scheduled and advertised for the show following Wrestlemania for months. I haven’t heard how the communication breakdown happened as it’s always a possibility Rock did notify the office but the writers and producers didn’t get word until they arrived at the venue to start going over the show details.

* Triple H suffered a left arm/hand injury in his “No Holds Barred” match against Brock Lesnar. The initial fear was Hunter had a broken bone and was x-rayed in the locker room of MetLife stadium. WWE physician Michael Sampson read the x-ray and determined it was negative. Sampson diagnosed the injury as a muscle contusion and advised him to put ice on it. Hunter’s hand was very swollen on Monday as we have a photo at this link.

* CM Punk banged up his elbow and knee in his match against The Undertaker. Punk also had x-rays in the MetLife Stadium locker room and is believed to be in need of an MRI. Punk went into the match banged up and had actually been pulled from WWE live events in mid-March after suffering an arm injury.

* Ryback was seen limping after his match with Mark Henry although we haven’t heard of a significant injury occurring. Ryback shouldered the 400-pound “World’s Strongest Man” twice.

* Shawn Michaels was banged up in the Brock Lesnar bout as the initial fear was he had a broken nose. After further evaluation it was determined Michaels was OK.

- The Rock flew home to Miami, Florida on Monday and was examined by Dr. Lee Kaplan at the University of Miami. He was diagnosed with torn abdomen and adductor muscles that he tore off his pelvis as well as a hernia. The injury occurred early on in his WWE title match against John Cena as it’s estimated The Rock worked 15 minutes in intense pain. Writers and producers didn’t find out about the injury until Monday afternoon causing panic and show rewrites.

- While there was a panic to write The Rock off of this week’s WWE Raw on Monday afternoon, the plan all along was to have Ryback attack John Cena on this week’s show. I haven’t heard if there are plans to program them leading into Extreme Rules but that doesn’t seem far off considering the conclusion of Raw. However, it should be noted that WWE made it a point to acknowledge Rock was still the number one contender. As for Ryback working as a heel, he’s been pushing for a turn for months. As we’ve reported on WrestlingNewsWorld.com Premium, Ryback has realized he has a better chance of working as the top heel rather than surpassing Cena as the company’s top babyface. However, his ultimate goal, and he hasn’t been shy about saying it, is to surpass Cena.

- After WWE Raw went off the air, John Cena slowly recovered from taking Shellshock. He got up and cut a promo for the live crowd and thanked them for attending. He said his favorite chant was when they chanted “we are awesome” and put over the moment for Dolph Ziggler’s first World Heavyweight Championship win. He spoke on his Wrestlemania match against The Rock and said they spent a lot of money and vacation days to make Wrestlemania weekend special. Cena ended the taping by leading the crowd in a humming of Fandango’s theme music.

- WWE posted the footage of Wade Barrett winning the WWE Intercontinental Championship on this week’s Raw on their YouTube channel. You can watch it at this link.

- John Cena used Twitter to invite actors Mark Wahlberg and Ben Affleck as well as Boston Red Sox Shane Victorino, Jon Lester and Jacoby Ellsbury to Tuesday night’s Smackdowntaping from the TD Garden in Boston, MA.

Cena is officially advertised for Smackdown in his hometown. Triple H is as well.

- New World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler was given a round of applause when he got backstage at Monday’s WWE Raw after “cashing in” the Money in the Bank briefcase on Alberto Del Rio. Many in the company feel Ziggler has had some of the best if not the best in-ring work over the past year. For those that missed this week’s Raw, WWE posted footage of his title win here on YouTube.

- Big E Langston accidentally backhanded AJ Lee on his way out for his in-ring debut on WWE Raw against Daniel Bryan on Monday night. AJ laughed it off on Twitter:

- Brock Lesnar was reportedly “knocked out cold” after taking a knee from Triple H early on in their “No Holds Barred” match at Wrestlemania 29. Some wondered if he suffered a concussion but he was obviously able to gut it out and finish the match after regaining consciousness. Triple H suffered a left hand/arm injury in the match and Shawn Micheals initially thought he broke his nose.

- CM Punk would have been able to work this week’s WWE Raw if called upon but was ultimately given the night off the sell his loss to Undertaker at Wrestlemania 29. As announced by Paul Heyman, Punk will appear next week in Knoxville, TN. As previously noted, Punk was banged up in the bout challenging for “the streak.”

- The 75-minute 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will air Tuesday night on the USA Network at 10PM/9CT. Highlights of every induction speech will be shown and includes Mick Foley, Trish Stratus, Booker T, Donald Trump, Bob Backlund and Bruno Sammartino. You can read our recap from the ceremony this past Saturday night at this link.

- Wrestlemania 29 comes out on DVD and Blu-Ray on Tuesday, May 14, 2013 in the United States and Australia. The set is out on May 21st in Canada and June 10th in Europe. The set is now available for pre-order.

- WWE officials were reportedly high up on the way the roundtable analysis with Jim Ross, Kofi Kingston and Dusty Rhodes hosted by Scott Stanford went during the Wrestlemania 29 Pre and Post shows. This is something the company may look to continue and is something I’ve pushed for years.

- The WWE legal team was busy over Wrestlemania 29 weekend. In addition to storming WrestleCon in search of bootlegged merchandise, we’re told they sent out several threatening legal letters to former writers and wrestlers accusing them of operating the @CrankyVince Twitter account. This is something WWE has been trying to track down for months and they seem to think if enough threats are issued, a confession will follow. One observer commented about how ridiculous it is the company is worried about video compilations and parody Tweets leading into one of the biggest weekends in their history.

- It was communication breakdown that caused the panic at WWE Raw in New Jersey regarding the whereabouts of The Rock. The former WWE Champion informed company officials he was going home to Miami, Florida to see Dr. Lee Kaplan at the U. The situation was blown out of proportion when writers and producers were surprised of the news and told segments involving Rock had to be rewritten. As we reported Monday night here on WrestlingNewsWorld.com, The Rock tore his abdomen and adductor muscles off his pelvis and was also diagnosed with a hernia. It’s unknown if he will require surgery to repair the injury but The Rock was worried about it and wanted to seek immediate treatment as he is set to begin filming his role in the movie Hercules very soon.

- John Cena worked Wrestlemania 29 on Sunday and this week’s WWE Raw with a broken thumb. He also had food poisoning on Wednesday. Cena talked more about his condition going into WWE’s pay-per-view of the year here at HollywoodLife.com.

- WWE’s annual shareholders meeting at Titan Tows in Stamford, Connecticut is scheduled for Friday, April 26, 2013. All shareholders are invited as there will be a vote on the election of the company’s Board of Directors. Shareholders will also be able to ask questions to executive officers.

- Sheamus was believed to be somewhat annoyed by the crowd reactions at this week’s WWE Raw after the show. By morning he was taking it in stride, laughing it off. The following is from his Twitter:

- Big Show has been doing media all day on Tuesday in Boston to prompte this week’s Smackdown taping. You can listen to an interview he did with Toucher & Rich at this link. (Thanks to WNW reader Steven Shackleton for sending us the link.)

WWE Stars Meet Phil Jackson

Speaking of Big Show, he, The Prime Time Players and Layla got an opportunity to meet Phil Jackson. You can view a photo below:

- Chris Van Vliet did an interview with Alex Riley last weekend at Wrestlemania Axxess. In it, Van Vliet asked Riley what caused WWE to stop pushing him and he talked about the level of competition in the company.

Riley said he was “shoved into a main event spot” and while he was “very lucky” to have gotten it, he was working with The Miz. This time he “wants to earn it” and when he comes back it’s going to be all him.

- John Cena wouldn’t mind going toe-to-toe with R&B singer Ray J over his latest track called “I Hit It First.” The song, which many listeners believe references the singer’s former girlfriend, Kim Kardashian, rubs Cena the wrong way:

The WWE Champion told CNN,

“If he’s ridiculous enough to make a song as stupid as that, he certainly is ridiculous enough to make a bad decision to step in the ring with John Cena anytime, anywhere. I would love for him to be a superstar for a day on WWE and I’d hopefully knock some class into him.”

Ray J said on Hot 97 on Monday the song wasn’t written about Kim but was about a concept. However, the explanation might have meant more if it didn’t include lyrics such as: “You might move on to rappers and ballplayers but we all know I hit it first.”

Kardashian, who was in a sex tape with Ray J, has been linked to several athletes including the NFL’s Reggie Bush and Brooklyn Nets forward Kris Humphries, who she wed [and later divorced] in 2011. Kardashian is pregnant in a very publicized relationship with rapper Kanye West.

- Several readers sent in questions for Ask WNW regarding the white substance that was on Triple H during his entrance at Wrestlemania 29. As it turns out there was some type of malfunction where Hunter was hit with dry ice. He ended up suffering second degree burns.

- The Irish Sun is reporting that WWE has signed Rebecca Quin to a two-year developmental contract. Quinn is known on the independent scene as Rebecca Knox. Her photo is above. If you’re reading from Dirt Sheet, check the original post. (Thanks to WNW reader Dave L for sending us the link.)

- Baltimore Orioles center fielder Adam Jones was at this week’s WWE Smackdown taping from Boston, MA. Jones was hosted by WWE creative team member and former Baltimore Sun writer Kevin Eck.

- WWE’s official live events schedule ceases to list shows under the Raw and Smackdown brands starting with the May 31st show in Glens Falls, New York. Rather than differentiating live events as a “Raw” or “Smackdown” show, they are simply listed as “WWE Live.” This is something WWE has explored since January and will eliminate the final element of the brand extension.

- Fandango’s theme music “ChaChaLaLa” is surging in popularity and upon last check was #25 on the UK iTunes singles chart. (Thanks to WNW reader Dan Williams for his help.)

If you want to dance to the theme or practice humming for an upcoming WWE live event, you can watch his entrance video at this link. Ilyass Garara of WrestlingNews.net looks at the theme becoming the successor to the YES! chants. Read his article with videos at this link.

- Wrestlemania 29 is available for purchase on iTunes. The show is $14.99 for standard definition and $19.99 for high definition.

- Jim Ross is doing voiceover work for the Mid-South Wrestling DVD this week. He wrote the following on Twitter:

- The Rock noted on his Instagram account he will begin rehab for his abdominal/adductor injury suffered at Wrestlemania 29. As previously noted, Rock tore his tendons completely off his pelvis midway through his WWE title match against John Cena.

Rock had some fun with Instagram/Twitter followers by posting his “Hmm.. I think I just tore tendons off my pelvis” face:

- After the cameras stopped filming at this week’s Smackdown taping, WWE Champion John Cena and Team Hell No beat The Shield via disqualification in a dark match main event. The match was thrown out when Roman Reigns hit Cena with a chair.

After the match, the babyfaces hit their finishers on the faction. Cena cut a promo for his hometown crowd and Fandango’s entrance music was played. Fandango came out and corrected Cena on the pronunciation of his name. This resulted in Fandango getting a chokeslam from Kane, an Attitude Adjustment from Cena and a chokeslam from Bryan to end the taping and send the crowd home happy.

- ESPN New York has a new commentary online recapping Wrestlemania 29 from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. WWE’s Kevin Dunn gave his honest opinion of how the show compares to the Super Bowl:

“Frankly, our event is bigger than the Super Bowl,” said Kevin Dunn, WWE executive vice president of television production. “I’m very confident that when you go to a WrestleMania, you will see a bigger show than the Super Bowl.”

- As I pointed out shortly after WWE Rawhere on WrestlingNewsWorld.com, a confrontation between John Cena and Ryback was scripted for this week’s show even before the panic and rewrites. There is talk of WWE having Ryback avenge his Wrestlemania loss to Mark Henry before challenging for the WWE title.

- Brock Lesnar was planned at one point to be used on this week’s WWE Raw but was believed to be included in a segment with The Rock. When Rock couldn’t go, Brock was sent home. Lesnar is under a part-time contract with a limited number of appearances and WWE is being strategic on when they use him. The talk backstage was they would plant the seed for a future match between Brock and Rock but plans were scrapped when Rock was unable to go.

- CM Punk was scheduled to see a doctor on Tuesday regarding his knee and elbow. As of this writing I haven’t heard how it went.

- The Shield is on upcoming booking sheets to work against Team Hell No.

- No one backstage at WWE Raw felt that Dolph Ziggler successfully “cashing in” the Money in the Bank briefcase was a good thing for Jack Swagger. However, as of this writing, there are still plans to push Swagger as a main event performer. While Swagger worked Tuesday night in Boston we’re trying to find out if he made his scheduled court appearance in Biloxi.

- Randy Orton threw what was described as a “temper tantrum” backstage at WWE Raw regarding the crowd reactions from his bout on this week’s show. He’s also not happy about Ryback and Dolph Ziggler getting roles as prominent heels and is still pushing for a turn.

- Jack Swagger, whose real name is Jake Hager, is set for trial in Gulport, Mississippi on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 on the misdemeanor charge of Driving Under the Influence.

Swagger was arrested after the February 19th WWE Smackdown taping from the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi when he was stopped by police for speeding. The officer determined Swagger was driving under the influence and searched his vehicle. Marijuana was found and he was arrested by local sheriff’s deputies but later released on his own recognizance.

He was charged with DUI, possession of marijuana and speeding. Alcohol was not a factor.

Swagger had just left the venue after taping his segments that aired on the February 22nd episode of Smackdown when police stopped him in a 2013 Ford Taurus for speeding. Swagger was able to clear the charges of marijuana possession and speeding by paying respective fines of $437 and $188, however, the charge of DUI requires him to appear before a judge in addition to a $1300 fine. Swagger’s plea date was March 12, 2013 but postponed until April 9, 2013.

WWE has been eerily quiet regarding Swagger’s arrest just over 48 hours after putting him over at the Elimination Champion pay-per-view, assuring him a World title shot at Wrestlemania 29. Swagger went under to Alberto Del Rio at the show last Sunday. The company’s lone statement regarding the arrest was as follows:

- WWE looks at Fandango’s entrance theme shooting up the iTunes charts at this link.

- Variety has a new article online with several WWE business notes including the social media push and the shift to PG programming. The publication WWE has attracted several huge sponsors since going PG five years ago. Below is an excerpt from the piece:

The “Attitude Era” may have launched the careers of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson during the 1990s, but WWE’s programming was considered too edgy for advertisers. Five years ago, the wrestling conglom embraced a PG rating, and since then it’s helped attract family-conscious advertisers like General Motors, Ford Motor Co., Disney, DreamWorks, Paramount, Kmart, Subway, Taco Bell, Colgate, Frito-Lay, Schick and Mattel. WWE nabbed $160 million through its toy licensing pact with Mattel last year, up from $110 million in 2010.

Variety also reports WWE is looking at a new concept where fans would be able to purchase virtual goods with “WWE cash.” Below in an excerpt:

So far, WWE collects a licensing fee and percentage of the ad sales for its content on YouTube and Hulu Plus. But to take further advantage of digital platforms, WWE is considering elements of gamifi cation, where fans can purchase virtual goods or be rewarded with accumulating “WWE Cash” for activity via apps or on Facebook and Twitter.

- The Herald Sun has a new article online on WWE developmental talent Matt Silva signing with the company. The article calls Silva “the first Australian to join WWE” and Silva talks about being the first Aussie to compete in the company. While Silva should be proud of making it to WWE, he’s not the first Aussie talent. Remember Nathan Jones? You can read the full article at this link.

- Following this week’s WWE television tapings, Chris Jericho is headed to the UK to rejoin his band Fozzy. If you’re interested in checking out the band you can view their full touring schedule at this link.

- Shawn Michaels is a guest on episode two of “The Steve Austin Show” with Steve Austin. Click here to listen now.

- Andrew Green is suing WWE and Big Show(real name Paul Wight) over an alleged backstage incident that occurred at Royal Rumble from the US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona in January.

According to court documents, Green claims another WWE producer told him to get an interview with Show after his match against Alberto Del Rio to be posted on the company’s official website and/or YouTube channel. Green says Show refused to do it until he said it was at the request of former creative head Eric Pankowski.

Green claims Big Show began using “profanely indecent language,” saying if he wanted an interview he would give him one. The complaint continued:

“Big Show toward Green enraged, shouting obscenities, and waving his fist in Green’s face. Big Show then grabbed Green by the collar and throat, striking Green in the face and backing him up against a trunk while declaring ‘You son of a bitch … Are you having fun right now … Don’t even come up to me again … I don’t give a shit who you are’.” (Ellipses in complaint.)

Show then requested a re-tape saying he would just walk away. Triple H requested a third take but Show said he didn’t think he would be able to do it because his emotions in the original shoot had been real. A third interview was shot but Pankowski ultimately decided to air the first interview.

Green claims he was unable to continue working for WWE after January 29th because he was uncomfortable working around Big Show and other wrestlers. He alleges in the complaint that WWE had previously “suspended or terminated Big Show’s employment because of his behavior, including his engagement in violent and/or unlawful and/or improper activities outside of the wrestling venue.”

- WWE announced on Thursday it will release its 2013 first quarter earnings on Thursday, May 2, 2013 before market open. Vince McMahon will host a conference call with investors at 11AM EDT to discuss the results.

- Bret Hart did a Q&A with ans on his Facebook page on Thursday. Below is an excerpt:

Thoughts on Wrestlemania 29:

I thought undertaker and punk stole the show … I thought the two main events were more than predictable. Step by step. Overall I thought the show was good. The highlight of Wrestlemania weekend for me was the induction of Bruno. All of the Hall of Famer recipients were great selections.

He said Michael McGillicutty would be his pick to end Undertaker’s undefeated streak.

- Jim Ross has a new blog entry online with his Wrestlemania 29 reaction, thoughts on the Hall of Fame and Dolph Ziggler “cashing in” at this link.

- WWE has announced that the June 3rd episode of Raw will take place from the XL Center in Hartford, CT. Tickets go on sale April 19th. WWE will hold a live event from the Mobile Civic Center in Mobile, Alabama on June 21st. Tickets go on sale on April 27th.

- WWE will broadcast the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in its entirety Friday morning at 10 AM EDT at ppv.wwe.com. The cost is $7.99 and it will be available on the WWE Mobile App, Xbox Live and Samsung SMART TVs through April 19.

- Shawn Michaels said on the “Steve Austin Show” with Steve Austin that he could do three or four shots a year but he was ready to try something else. Michaels discussed his desire to spend more time at home with his daughter. You can listen to the podcast in its entirety at this link.

- Former WWE Diva Maria Kanellis did an interview with Playboy.com. In it, she reiterated her desire to return to WWE. She said she was contacted in January about a return but was told a month later the storyline fell through. Maria also said she wants to pose for Playboy again.

- The Houston Texas Cheerleaders were “Fandangoing” after practice on Thursday night. Check it out in the video embedded below:

- WWE is running a show from the Linco Stadium in Taipei, Taiwan on July 6th, 2013 at 6 PM. Tickets go on sale April 16th.

- The “red band” trailer for the upcoming WWE Studios film “No One Lives” is available at this link. The flick stars Luke Evans and features Brodus Clay in a supporting role.

- New Jersey 101.5 features a snippet on a funny/sad sign in the crowd at Wrestlemania 29 last Sunday. A woman is shown with a sign that reads “My Cheatin Husband’s in 129 Row 31 Seat 7-8 (With the home wrecker).” You can check it out at this link.

- Jim Ross targeted the obnoxious fans at the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony from last weekend. Below is an excerpt:

Although I loved the WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Madison Square Garden last Saturday night, I have to say that there were times during it that I was embarrassed to be a wrestling fan.

The loud and obnoxious yelling and taunts from some attention starved morons put a damper on the evening especially when Maria Menounos was inducting Bob Backlund. The same stereotypes that many fans detest that are unfairly, at times, hung on them from the main stream media was well deserved by a handful of tools who just had to be heard and noticed.

I wish security was stationed in the cheap seats and would quickly escort those obnoxious fans away from the event. One wold think that a ‘real fan’ would have more respect for the overall event than to cause so many negative disturbances. I’m all for fans cheering and having fun but off color remarks from the peanut gallery isn’t warranted at an event such as the WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

TNA News

- TNA claims Velvet Sky suffered a knee injury at last week’s Impact Wrestling tapings in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The match aired this week with Sky teaming with Taryn Terrell against Tara and Gail Kim. You can watch Sky getting checked out backstage in a new TNA ReACTION clip at this link. Sky noted on Twitter she is “gonna work right through the pain.”

- Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff fielded questions from fans at an event promoted as “Hulk Hogan Uncensored” at the Beacon Theatre in New York City on Friday night. The event started with a meet and then went to an “intimate” question and answer session.

There was nothing “ground breaking” about the event as Hogan put over Randy Savage as his favorite opponent and one fan asked Bischoff (who showed a little bit of a gut) when he was going to have his baby.

Hogan talked about how he liked working with TNA Wrestling because it was a growing company and he and Bischoff compared it to WCW. When no one gave WCW a shot, they actually overtook the WWF in the ratings and were close to “winning” the war.

It was said that Sting had agreed to be the third member of the NWO had Hogan not agreed to do it.

Hulk talked about seeing “Sensational” Sherri Martel when he was single at a strip club. The infamous sex tape wasn’t brought up but a fan shouted to Hulk he should have never gotten married and he responded with an “amen.”

The biggest criticism from the event had to do with disorganization. The Q&A session was ended before everyone that had waited was able to ask at least one question.

Doing some research across Twitter, below is some reactions from attendees:

“Hulk Hogan Uncensored” should’ve been called “An old man tells uninteresting stories he half-remembers to a far too forgiving audience.”

Chris tour his ACL and required surgery back in July of 2012 as we reported here. He has since been in rehabilitation. There has been a lot of talk that his contract was up with the company and was set to move to WWE.

- Following up on Velvet Sky’s reported knee injury, she underwent an MRI that revealed no structural damage. She posted the following on Twitter:

TNA’s official website expanded on the information with an official statement. Below are the upcoming travel schedule as to where Impact Wrestling will be headed as well as the venues for the event. The schedule goes all the way through August:

TNA takes IMPACT WRESTLING LIVE on SpikeTV on the road – don’t miss your chance to experience IMPACT LIVE with the upcoming events, featurng all of your favorite TNA superstars in action!
Thursday, April 25: Indiana, Pa.: TNA’s Thursday Night IMPACT WRESTLING LIVE on Spike TV is coming to Indiana, Pa. on Thursday, April 25 at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex live at 7:00 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.comcastTIX.net or charge by phone at 800-298-4200.
Thursday, May 9: Tupelo, Miss: TNA’s Thursday Night IMPACT WRESTLING LIVE on Spike TV, presented by Direct Auto Insurance, is coming to Tupelo on Thursday, May 9 at the BancorpSouth Arena live at 7:00 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone at 800-745-3000.
Thursday, May 23: Tampa, Fla: TNA’s Thursday Night IMPACT WRESTLING LIVE on Spike TV, presented by Direct Auto Insurance, is coming to Tampa on Thursday, May 23 at the USF Sun Dome live at 7:00 pm. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 26 at www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone at 800-745-3000.
Thursday, June 6: Duluth, GA: TNA’s IMPACT WRESTLING on Spike TV is coming to Duluth on Thursday, June 6 at The Arena at Gwinnett Center live at 7:00 pm.
Thursday, June 20: Peoria, IL: TNA’s IMPACT WRESTLING on Spike TV is coming to Peoria on Thursday, June 20 at the Peoria Civic Center live at 7:00 pm. Tickets go on sale Friday, May 24 at all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone at 800-745-3000.
Saturday, June 29: Las Vegas, Nevada at the Orleans Arena
Thursday, July 18: Louisville, Kentucky at the Broadbent Arena
Thursday, August 1: Wichita Falls, Texas at the Kay Yeager Coliseum
Thursday, August 15: Norfolk, Virginia at the Constant Center
Thursday August 29: Cleveland, Ohio at the Wolstein Center

- Hulk Hogan has a message for AJ Styles in the latest episode of TNA ReACTION at this link

- The music video for “Somebody’s Gonna Pay” by Mickie James was posted at this link.

- Hulk Hogan is at it again and honestly I’m quite confused. Several hours ago Hogan Retweeted the following Tweet by TNANews.com webmaster Alex Barie.

TNANews.com is the sister website of WrestlingNewsWorld.com. Elto Alexandrov and Kyle Schimanski, the “clowns” Hogan is referring too, are two of our writers. You can read the article in question at this link:

- Following Matt Morgan’s erratic behavior against us a couple weeks ago we did a little digging to find out why he was being so “blunt” and “outspoken.” Especially when we did nothing to warrant such a reaction. We’re told the TNA Wrestling office considers Morgan’s temper to be a bit concerning but they’re willing to just “look the other way” when incidents like what happened to us a couple weeks ago happen. No apology was issued (or expected) but Morgan has added a disclaimer to his Twitter page reading - “All Views Here ARE MY OWN” Morgan is in a real good spot politically in TNA as he’s cosied up to Hulk Hogan and company. We’re told Hogan sees Morgan as one of the future cornerstones of TNA so he’s able to get by with more than most.

- Chavo Guerrero & Hernandez won the TNA Tag Team Championship on this week’s episode of Impact Wrestling in a two out of three falls match against Austin Aries and Bobby Roode. Aries & Roode won the first fall in 0:30, Chavo & Hernandez won the second in 1:30 and the third in 16:00.

- Following this week’s episode of Impact Wrestling, TNA played up an injury angle with Jeff Hardy being loaded into an ambulance.

- This week’s Impact Wrestling only did a 0.93 cable rating with an average viewing audience of 1,170,000 viewers on Spike TV. This was the lowest viewership of the year and the lowest since October 11, 2012.

Ask WNW

When will WWE realize Undertaker should always go last at Wrestlemania? Every year the crowd dies down after his matches no matter what happens next.

I agree, The Undertaker is impossible to follow at Wrestlemania. We’ve seen him do what he did at Wrestlemania 29 before (saving the show with an outstanding match) yet we all wondered going in what CM Punk would be able to get out of him. Here’s a guy that works one match a year and consistently puts on “match of the year” candidates. Following his match against CM Punk, the conversation has shifted. We need to start having serious debate on whether or not Undertaker is the greatest of all-time. I almost feel bad for even doubting what we would get out of the bout this year. Undertaker not only showed he hasn’t “lost a step” in the ring but his physical conditioning was very good as well. He certainly looked the part and did not disappoint.

Why were there no interviews or backstage segments at Wrestlemania 29?

WWE overbooked the show with too many matches. Sean Hopkins and I were texting this morning about what they could have cut and we both concluded it should have been the video promo packages. There were no interviews or backstage segments because WWE knew they were going to be pressed on time. This is also why the three main events where back-to-back-to-back.

Since John Cena beat The Rock at WrestleMania what’s left for John Cena to accomplish?

John Cena is the “face of WWE” and I took his title win and embrace with The Rock afterwards as a literal passing of the torch. My concern has to do with the amount of fans that have already “check out” on Cena and given up on him. How much longer can WWE ride the Cena character without some type of gimmick progression? Are they just going to let him go “as is” until he finally burns out? I’m not surprised Cena beat The Rock and feel this is the outcome that had to happen if they weren’t going to swerve.

Do you expect better crowd reactions at Wrestlemania XXX in New Orleans compared to what we saw at Wrestlemania 29?

The crowd at Wrestlemania XXX will come across better on pay-per-view because it’s a closed dome stadium. The problem with open-air stadiums is the sound gets out. One thing I felt was problematic throughout Wrestlemania 29 was the crowd came off as silent (making it feel as though they were apathetic). I noted in my Richard Reacts that you could often hear single fans saying things to Brock Lesnar. You could also hear workers calling spots in the ring.

What happened to the 8-Person Tag Team Match at Wrestlemania 29?

The match was cut due to time constraints. We heard when Diddy was performing early on in the show they were already 17-minutes behind. It turned out WWE was unable to make up the time and as a result had to cut a bout from the show. I can’t help but feel bad for Brodus Clay as you can read his reaction at this link.

What was the point of having The Miz win the WWE Intercontinental Championship on the non-televised Wrestlemania Pre-Show only to drop it back to Wade Barrett the following night? It doesn’t make any sense.

A lot of readers want to know why WWE would book The Miz over in the Wrestlemania Pre-Show only to have him go under the following night on Raw. This isn’t an unusual occurrence as I’m reminded of Christian’s World Heavyweight Championship win against Alberto Del Rio at Extreme Rules 2011 only to drop it to Randy Orton the following Tuesday at the Smackdown taping. While this was different, it was still head scratching considering WWE put Christian over in a 21-minute match on pay-per-view. As it turns out, it was all part of an angle to turn him heel. I interviewed Edge, Christian’s good friend, and asked him about the decision and he said knowing the big picture he was fine with it. I don’t know if Miz winning the title only to drop it the following night is part of a bigger plan or if they just wanted to generate hype for the Pre-Show but I have learned to be careful before judging outcomes too quickly. Christian ended up the top heel on Smackdown and had one of the best runs of his career after what appeared on the surface to be a very questionable creative call.

What was your reaction to the crowd from this week’s WWE Raw in East Rutherford, New Jersey?

The crowd on this week’s WWE Raw was awesome and was the complete opposite of what we saw at Wrestlemania 29. A hot crowd can take a mediocre show and make it excellent. Raw would have been good had it not been for the crowd but they made it that much better. The northeast crowd filled with transplants from all across the world for Wrestlemania weekend threw off storylines by cheering heels and booing babyfaces but that never matters. The energy they brought to the show helped it immensely and everyone backstage felt it as well. A hot crowd energizes workers and this provided a huge shot in the arm to an exhausted roster.

Will Brock Lesnar achieve a great role in WWE after Wrestlemania 29?

Brock Lesnar is 1-2 since returning to WWE last May and is signed on to work a part-time schedule over the next two years. There is no way I can accurately predict how he’ll be used going forward (as it likely hasn’t been determined) but WWE will continue to book him in high profile pay-per-view matches they feel will draw big. WWE is booking Lesnar as more of a “must-see” spectacle rather than a dominant force. Wins and losses seem to mean less and less these days as Ryback went under to Mark Henry at Wrestlemania yet concluded Raw with the WWE title belt in his hand. Dolph Ziggler did a job and walked out the next night the World Heavyweight Champion. I can’t explain it but the fans don’t seem to care.

With Dolph Ziggler winning the World Heavyweight Championship and most likely setting up a feud between him and Alberto Del at Extreme Rules do you think that’s an indication that Jack Swagger’s push is over?

I am interested to see how WWE books Dolph Ziggler as champion. Remember Christian’s World Heavyweight Championship win at Extreme Rules that lasted less than 48 hours that I mentioned above? We’ll see how much confidence WWE shows in him as champion but it does look like Alberto Del Rio will be out for “revenge” following this week’s WWE Raw. As for Jack Swagger, he’s due in court in Biloxi, MS on Tuesday to respond to a DWI charge from his February arrest. I am interested to see what happens as many felt like Swagger was finished after he was arrested just days after winning the Elimination Chamber. Vince McMahon had him push his court date back and kept the Wrestlemania bout intact. Vince was reportedly souring on Swagger after he made the decision so we’ll see how it plays out. Regardless of what happens to Swagger, WWE has a new stellar mouthpiece in Zeb Colter.

When Ryback attacked John Cena, the already-wild crowd came absolutely unglued on WWE Raw. If that was supposed to be a heel turn on Ryback’s part, the fans are still 100% behind him. It is painfully obvious that once again, John Cena is going to be shoved down our throats despite his increasingly mixed reactions. My question is, should the WWE embrace his status as a tweener? Booking a tweener in any other instance would probably not work, but the WWE’s hand is forced on this one. I think the general consensus is that Cena will remain untouchable, but to the crowd, he’s expendable. Should the WWE blur the lines with him?

John Cena is already a tweener as WWE constantly acknowledges the split crowd reactions and bill him as the WWE Superstar that garners a reaction like no one else is capable of getting. We’ve all fantasized about an all-out heel turn for Cena but it just isn’t going to happen (at least not anytime soon). This program with Ryback is supposed to turn Ryback heel as he’s been pushing for it for months. What I don’t get, and what I think a lot of fans are giving a pass, is the fact Ryback went under to Mark Henry at Wrestlemania yet is now challenging for the WWE Championship. Am I the only one that feels this makes no sense? Ryback couldn’t beat Punk at Hell in a Cell, he couldn’t beat Punk or Cena at Survivor Series, he was winless against The Shield, jobbed to Mark Henry and now we’re supposed to buy him as a viable contender at Extreme Rules? It’s going to be interesting to follow because Ryback is over as a babyface despite the fact he’s accomplished nothing in terms of wins in WWE.

Is it just me or do Jack Swagger’s promos seem racist?

The entire point of the Jack Swagger/Zeb Colter gimmick is to over-accentuate the Tea Party movement in the United States, presenting Colter and Swagger as xenophobic/borderline racists that are intolerable to anyone different to them. It’s meant to spark controversy and outrage and did early on. The gimmick has lost steam but the connotations you are asking about are what is intended.

Why didn’t WWE have Alberto Del Rio drop the World Heavyweight Championship to Dolph Ziggler at Wrestlemania instead of on Raw the following night?

I can’t explain WWE’s decision to delay Dolph Ziggler “cashing in” the Money in the Bank briefcase but we can speculate it was done to throw people off. One thing Ziggler was asked in media interviews throughout last week and into the weekend was if he would be “cashing in” at Wrestlemania. Ziggler continued to talk about it, making many feel like because it was such a talking point that WWE wouldn’t do it to avoid the obvious. We can also talk about how Wrestlemania was already overbooked and there wouldn’t have been time to do it. Another point worthy of discussion would be how much WWE benefitted from delaying it because not only did they avoid the obvious but they were able to utilize the ultra hot crowd at Raw. With all this being said would Dolph Ziggler be able to escape the week of TVs as World Heavyweight Champion? We have full Smackdown taping results online at this link.

Considering how well The Undertaker appeared and performed in his match at Wrestlemania 29 do you see him wrestling any further events this year, perhaps as part of a tag team against the Shield at Extreme Rules?

Despite the tease on this week’s Raw, as of this writing, Undertaker is not in the plans for Extreme Rules next month. Things are always subject to change and we never say never in this business but WWE did what they did on Raw to keep people talking. Undertaker surprised me at Wrestlemania 29. Not only did he appear in better shape than he looked to be at the WWE live event back in February but he proved he hasn’t “lost a step” and is still capable of headlining major WWE pay-per-views. I’m almost “ashamed of myself” for doubting him and pushing for WWE to put CM Punk over and end the streak. I honestly had no idea he had that much left in the tank and he absolutely has more matches left in him.

I’m a Ryback fan and while I understand your concern about his PPV losses, could all of these losses be part of the bigger picture in turning him heel and becoming WWE Champion?

I can certainly see why a Ryback fan would be hopeful these losses were all part of the bigger picture and now he’s going to be built as an unstoppable heel, however, I have my doubts. John Cena just captured the WWE Championship, his first reign with the title since 2011. If the company moves forward with this program against Cena are we supposed to believe Ryback is going to come out of it WWE Champion? I would be surprised if this was the case, especially after Cena’s reign is built as one of redemption that was an entire year in the making. As I’ve noted, wins and losses don’t seem to mean much and we can’t deny that Ryback is over.

Is this the year WWE returns to a TV-14 product, leaving the PG initiative in the dust?

WWE remains committed to their PG initiative. Do you want to see one of the reasons why? This link goes to a list of corporate sponsors WWE has attracted since going PG. Let’s also not forget WWE’s ability to market to an entire family. If the WWE Network ever gets launched I do think we could see some of the past TV-14 moments airing later at night.

We all know how hot the crowd was at Raw on Monday, but it really seemed to pick up during the Randy Orton vs. Sheamus match. What does it say when two of the top babyfaces in WWE are in the ring competing, and the audience is chanting for the referee and commentators amongst others and have to do the wave to remain entertained? Have we finally reached the point that the over saturation of Sheamus and Orton every week has made them draw less?

Let’s also not forget the crowd was cheering one of the people selling concessions throughout the arena during the match as well. Over saturation is part of it but another major factor is lack of gimmick progression. WWE whiffed on an opportunity to turn Randy Orton heel. The thing about the business is gimmicks have to evolve to keep fans entertained. When it’s the same thing week in and week out, people get bored. Randy Orton has always been a better heel than he has babyface and the crowd couldn’t have cared less about the match against Sheamus on this week’s Raw. Many are hopeful the crowd “sent a message” to WWE but I honestly think the only message that was sent was Dadadadadadadaduh.

I’m all for talent laying down and passing the torch, but don’t you feel having Brock Lesnar consistently lose to established talent is kind of a waste ? When Eddie Guerrero left WWE he went to various companies and laid down for upcoming talent wouldn’t Brock be better utilized doing the same if he’s going to lose anyway?

Brock Lesnar is getting paid millions of dollars by WWE to work a part-time schedule. He’ll do whatever is asked of him to collect his paycheck. I absolutely don’t blame him and I think anyone in his position would do the exact same thing. There is no other organization on this planet, other than WWE, that could afford to pay him 7-figures a year for limited dates. As for the WWE booking of Lesnar, we’ve already talked about wins and losses meaning less and less – just look at Ryback. Lesnar is being booked as the “must-see spectacle” rather than the unstoppable beast that can’t be beat. It’s not how I would book him but it is what it is and WWE believes fans will forget about his loss and they’ll be able to book him another top level program for another pay-per-view main event once again.

Is Rob Van Dam negotiating with WWE to return to the company?

Rob Van Dam kept people talking about him by appearing at the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony last weekend. RVD, who is friends with Joey Styles, even got a feature article on dot com about it. We don’t know RVD’s contract status as he’s kayfabing over it. The word is he’s trying to leverage money against WWE and TNA but who knows. We’ll find out soon enough.

Do you see Big E Langston becoming a top star in the future?

I haven’t seen enough of Big E Langston on WWE television to form a solid opinion about him. He did exactly what he should have done at Wrestlemania by not trying to do too much and overwork his WWE Tag Team Championship match with Dolph Ziggler against Team Hell No. Big E had a rookie moment on his way to the ring on this week’s WWE Raw that kept us all laughing.

Do you think John Cena winning at Wrestlemania will result in a lengthy WWE title reign and a third “rubber match” against The Rock at Wrestlemania XXX?

I am diametrically opposed to the idea of doing John Cena vs. The Rock III and surely WWE would realize that would be overkill. I heard this teased from the moment the rematch was announced and could only muster up the reaction of “I hope not.”

What was the white stuff stuck to Triple H on his Wrestlemania 29 entrance?

That was dry ice stuck to Triple H during his Wrestlemania 29 entrance. Dry ice was being shot out to create a “smoky” effect and there was a malfunction. As we reported here on WrestlingNewsWorld.com, Hunter suffered second degree burns on his torso and arms as a result.

The Stars Read WNW

If you enjoy Wrestling News World as your source for wrestling news and rumors, you're in great company! Did you know The Rock, Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, Kurt Angle, Roddy Piper, Chris Jericho and more all read? Check out the Stars that Read Wrestling News World.